"I'm feeling confident coming into Townsville. The format is going to be more difficult than in the past, but the 250km race on Sunday is always difficult. The two shorter races on Saturday will mean that we're able to push harder as they're more like sprint races."
Defending champion Whincup appears to have put the trials and tribulations of the early season races behind him and is looking good to challenge the two ahead of him on the point's table. He is pleased with the recent test day and had a great round in Darwin, winning two races.
"We're really aware that we had a tough run there last year so while we think those demons are behind us we still can't take anything for granted," said Whincup.
With the three drivers at the top of the leader board keeping a wary eye on each other, it might just allow the three Kiwis in the field - Fabian Coulthard in fourth, Shane van Gisbergen sixth and Scott McLaughlin seventh - to haul themselves into contention.
Only 406 points separate first and eighth so nobody can afford to make a hash of the weekend where 300 points are up for grabs.
"Darwin wasn't all bad as I got my first podium there but we're obviously disappointed about Sunday [finished 23]," said Coulthard.
"We're at Townsville to make amends and we've got a good fast car that we need to capitalise on. The race weekend is going to be interesting now that it's all hard tyres and we're racing an extra 100km, which will bring more strategy into play.
"I like the track and it's one of those places where you have to set the car up to handle the curbs, because for a good lap you have to used a fair amount of them. It's a tricky little place."
Fellow Kiwi McLaughlin continues to show the Volvo and himself belong among the front-runners in the series. The format for the race weekend is much the same as the opening round in Adelaide and McLaughlin had a good result there, picking up a podium finish after a feisty battle with Whincup.
"The car went well at Adelaide and should be the same up here," said McLaughlin. "Having the three races will add another element to the weekend. Townsville is one of the tracks I really enjoy being part purpose-built with a bit of street circuit as well.
"I've gone well here in the past couple of years and I hope to do so again. The car suits these types of circuits so we should be on for a good result."
The quiet achiever in the field, van Gisbergen does all his talking on the track. This year the Kiwi has been, in the most, the epitome of consistency picking up points nearly every time he hits the track.
His team are building momentum, helped in no small measure by leaving Darwin with a podium finish. Van Gisbergen picked up a third last year in Townsville and is hoping to emulate that feat at least once over the three races.
